Possibly there are men so twisted that they would take the awful risk that Dr Pell must have taken if he was guilty, but such a pervert would have been guilty of numerous offences over the years, and would have been found out long before reaching the Cardinal's present age of 77, especially if his enemies were out to get him for half his lifetime.
Not only that, but those who know the Cardinal know that he does not fit that description. Commentator Andrew Bolt, writing in the Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun (February 27), gives the Cardinal's character as one reason why he cannot believe the charges. Bolt is not a Catholic and not even a Christian, but he is a fair-minded man whose sense of justice puts to shame those prominent Catholics who are condemning Cardinal Pell despite the evidence.
The accuser stated that the Cardinal was wearing his vestments when the attack occurred and that he moved them to expose himself, but the defence argued that this was not possible because of the way the robes were fastened.
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A disturbing fact is that the accuser's identity has been kept secret. If it were known, possibly evidence would emerge throwing new light on the accusations. The whole case against the Cardinal rests on the testimony of one man. The jury evidently found him believable, but some people can lie very convincingly and some people suffer from delusions.
So Cardinal Pell was convicted on that testimony despite the very strong evidence in his favour. Any fair-minded person should see that a not guilty verdict should have been returned because, whether or not one agrees with my contention that the evidence shows beyond reasonable doubt that the Cardinal is innocent, it is absolutely certain that his guilt was not established beyond reasonable doubt.
An unnamed Melbourne priest said: "It is clear it is no longer possible for a Catholic priest to get a fair trial in this State".
It is reported that Cardinal Pell will be in solitary confinement at least for the present, because of the danger of assault by other prisoners. We must keep him in our prayers and pray that the unjust conviction will be overturned on appeal.
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